


Consultation

by unwindmyself



Series: curious shapes shift in the dark [60]
Category: True Blood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Detox, F/F, Female Friendship, Fix-It, Gen, Gossip, Relationship Advice, Vampire Family, agency and choices!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-26 14:30:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2655443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwindmyself/pseuds/unwindmyself
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The baby vamps have a much-needed heart-to-heart-to-heart about their respective and varyingly established girlfriends; the older three talk less and touch more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Consultation

**Author's Note:**

> Part three, "Superstar."

Pam and the babies take responsibility for unloading the car (or unloading it as much as they’re gonna) and Eric takes responsibility for his sister, namely getting her inside (she’s into the floppy and exhausted stage of her high, which she doesn’t remember happening before but maybe there’s confirmation bias or something).

“Heard anything more?” Tara asks Jessica as they all troop back out to the car for one last round of carrying (Willa is practically skipping ahead, on her second wind or something, and Pam is all purposeful strides as usual).

“Huh-uh,” Jessica mumbles, shouldering an unused box of their emergency explosives.

“He’s gonna be okay,” Tara says. “He’s Jason Stackhouse. He makes it through everything.”

“I know,” Jessica whispers.

They move the rest of the objects into the garage and then Tara gives her Maker a pointed look and Pam makes herself scarce, assuming correctly that this is one of those times the babies need to be alone.

“You wanna talk?” Tara asks when it’s just the three younger girls remaining.

Jessica and Willa glance at each other, then at Tara, both of their expressions gone mischievous. “Yeah,” Jessica says. “Yeah, I really do.”

“Shit,” Tara laughs. “Are we still talkin’ about the same thing? You guys have gossip faces.”

“Accurate,” Willa agrees, promptly dropping on the lawn and nodding for the other two to join her.

By the time they’re settled, Jessica and Willa’s expressions have gone to expectant stares, and Tara can’t keep from laughing. “Who’s goin’ first?” she asks.

Jessica and Willa look at each other, shrugging. “Yours?” Jessica asks Willa, just as Willa says, “No, you first.”

“Someone go,” Tara prompts, then nodding at Jessica. “Am I right to assume that _you_ have questions about whatever the hell that was back there?”

“With Aunt Nora,” Willa supplies, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. “What _was_ that?”

“It looked like makin’ out,” Tara quips.

“It was,” Jessica says hesitantly.

“Did it just come outta nowhere?” Tara asks. “’Cause I’d have found it more likely for you two to make out outta nowhere than you an’ Great-Auntie.”

Jessica and Willa look at each other, wrinkling their noses. “Yeah, well,” Jessica mumbles. “Nora an’ I, she’d… I mean, we’d kissed before. That night Sookie first brought the girls over.”

“Okay,” Tara says. “She kissed you first?” Jessica nods. “Well, I’m not surprised. From what I can tell, that woman’s sexual interests are many and _quite_ varied.”

“She told me, or she sorta implied I guess, that she’d _been with_ that Salome who’d set up this whole mess,” Jessica agrees.

“Not surprised,” says Tara. “So are you freakin’ out ‘cause you’ve never kissed a girl before her or ‘cause you kissed a girl who kissed a girl who was evil?”

Jessica frowns. “I think both,” she says. “Also I kissed a girl who kissed a girl who’s like one of the most famous seductresses from Bible times?”

“Wait, seriously?” Willa interrupts. “She was _that_ Salome? Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” Jessica nods. “I’m… I guess I just feel kinda feel over my head?”

“Makes sense,” Tara muses.

“D’you have any advice?” Jessica presses.

“I’m not some gay girl guru,” Tara points out, smirking. “Bi, whatever. Queer.”

“I know,” Jessica says. “But you got with a much older vampire lady who’s clearly gotten with way more ladies, y’know?”

“Yeah,” Tara admits. “My first girlfriend, Naomi, she had been out since high school. It’s hard not feeling queer enough.” She shrugs. “I don’t think that’s gonna be an issue with Nora, though. She’s intense, but she doesn’t strike me as bein’ a sexuality snob.”

“D’you think I’m nuts for kinda wanting to see where it goes?” Jessica asks.

“No,” Tara says. “I think you probably oughta realize what you’re gettin’ into, but I think you probably do.”

“Oh my god, Eric,” Willa exclaims.

“There is that,” Tara agrees. “You probably oughta talk to Nora about all this, you’ll get more out of it.”

“Okay,” Jessica says. “Thanks, Tara.”

“’Course,” Tara smiles. “Okay, Willa’s turn.” Entirely not motivated by her desire to keep the attention off of her as long as possible.

Willa pulls a face. “Yeah, all right,” she says. “I, uh, I think I have a girlfriend now?”

“Oh my god!” Jessica exclaims. “I thought that might be… that’s awesome.” Her eyes light up. “Oh my god, it’s Braelyn, huh?”

“Wait, really?” Tara asks. “The not-even-month-old fairy kid’s your new girlfriend?”

“They’re eighteen, sorta,” Willa says sheepishly. “And I’m only nineteen, and it’s way weird, huh?”

“I think it’s cute,” Jessica chirps.

“Did y’all like each other before you swapped blood?” Tara asks.

“Yeah,” Willa admits, twirling her hair. “I mean, not… exclusively, I guess.” Which is her way of saying, of course, that she’s also had a thing for someone else who is completely Tara but there’s no point in mentioning it on the off-chance that it’s still a secret somehow.

“Okay, so it’s not just that,” Tara concludes. “And it’s not just that she smells good.”

“No!” Willa exclaims. “No, I mean, she does, and she tastes great, I mean didn’t you think –”

“Yeah,” Jessica sighs out wistfully.

“Yeah,” Tara agrees sheepishly.

“So, yeah,” Willa nods. “But that’s not… I mean, I don’t wanna just... I’m not gonna drink from her any more than you are from Adi and Dani, you know? I do just like her for her. She’s really cool.”

“She’s kind of a work in progress,” Tara points out.

“Who’s not?” Willa asks. “I’m kind of a baby too, right? I’m definitely not the same as I was a couple weeks ago.”

“Fair,” Tara smiles.

“Mostly the issue is I’m nervous,” Willa says. “I don’t want her to feel like I’m puttin’ pressure on her, you know?”

“Probably you oughta talk it out too,” Jessica says sagely.

“Yeah,” Willa sighs. “An’ then there’s her dad.”

“What about him?”

“Well, like… he wasn’t yellin’ or anything,” Willa muses, “but I dunno. You know him better than I do, is he gonna flip shit?”

Tara considers this. “He might give you the _what are your intentions_ talk, but not ‘cause you’re a girl,” she decides. “Possibly ‘cause you’re a vampire. Probably ‘cause you’re dating his daughter.”

Willa nods slowly. “I can deal with that,” she nods. A moment passes and she turns her attention more closely on Tara. “Now you go.”

“Now I go, what?” Tara asks innocently.

“Whatever… serious business you and Pam were talkin’ about,” Willa says. “Brae said that Char thinks y’all were havin’ the l-word talk.”

“We mighta been,” Tara hesitates.

“Oh my god!” Jessica shouts, clapping her hands together. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Tara admits. “She fuckin’ told me in Swedish and made me Google Translate it.”

“You coulda asked me,” Willa offers.

And Tara just laughs. “It was kinda spur-of-the-moment, or I woulda,” She says.

“Did you freak out?” Jessica asks. “I woulda freaked out. Especially ‘cause it’s Pam. I mean, she only loves Eric and, like, capitalism and corsets and stuff.”

“And Tara,” Willa chirps. “Oh my god.”

“Don’t tell Pam I told you,” Tara mumbles. “I don’t want her gettin’ weird.”

“Of course,” Willa and Jessica say in unison, nodding eagerly.

Tara kind of doesn’t believe them, but it doesn’t really matter.

 

* * *

 

“Where are the babies?” Eric asks.  He’s sprawled out at one end of the sofa; Nora is flung over his lap, her own jacket acting as a pillow and his draped over her shoulders, and he’s very casually petting her hair.  The only word Pam can think of to describe how her aunt looks right now is _young_.  Young and also possibly forlorn.

But she’s been asked a question, so she gives one of her practically-trademark shrugs.  “Outside talkin’,” she says.  “Tara gave me one of those _looks_ , so I guess it’s gossip.”  She rolls her eyes, waits for Nora’s eyes to shut for a moment before she mouths, “Possibly about that whole thing.”

Eric nods.  He needs to have a talk with his sister, that much he knows, and he doesn’t expect that here, in front of his progeny, is the way to go about it. 

The silence is prolonged enough that, without opening her eyes, Nora whines, “Stop talking about me.”

Which makes the other two laugh, if gently.  “I promise,” Eric murmurs, lifting one of her hands to kiss it.

Pam sits in the armchair, crosses one leg over the other.  “Is this normal for you?” she asks.  “This painful detoxing shit.”

“Now, Pam,” Eric says warningly.

But Nora bats at him, pulls a face.  Maybe talking about it will help.  “Huh-uh,” she says.  “There… there was a _comedown_ , but she’d just.”  A long, wistful sigh.  “Take me to her room and drop me in the bath and wash my hair and…”  Her eyes squeeze shut more tightly, she breaks into a hungry smile.  “And _carry me to bed and eat my_ –”

“ _Syster, stanna_ ,” Eric near-shouts, tightening his grip on her hair until she relaxes.

“We’re talkin’ about the famous Salome?” Pam asks.

“That would be the one,” Eric mutters. Almost even more than the fact that she’d nearly started a religious apocalypse, the fact of what Salome did to his sister (not just the sexual relationship, that’s no issue, but the emotional aftermath) makes him resent her.

“Well, you can take care of both those things for her now,” Pam drawls, “but I guess while we’re waitin’ for the kids to wrap up their little lavender bull session, I could help out.”

Eric raises an eyebrow.  “Won’t that upset your child?” he asks.

“Shockingly, I _am_ capable of offering non-sexual comfort,” Pam says.  “Bring her over and lay her out on the floor.  I saw more than a few girls through withdrawals in my day.”

“Girls at your brothel?” Nora asks as Eric hoists her up.

“Excuse her lack of manners,” Eric tells Pam.

“Yeah, at my brothel,” Pam declares.  “Drug habits were part of the territory.  And since tea’s not gonna help and I wouldn’t trust myself to give acupuncture even if we had the tools…”  She nudges Eric out of the way, flips Nora on her stomach, and straddles her hips.  “This’ll at least pass the time.”

As she digs her thumbs into Nora’s shoulders, Nora lets out a whimper and promptly seems to sink into the floor. “Yeah,” she mumbles, that slightly eerie grin of hers returned.

“Say please,” Pam teases, because she can’t help but try to test her boundaries.

“Please,” Nora murmurs (just as Eric gives his progeny a pointed look).

Some minutes pass like this before the girls all run in, wide-eyed and clutching their phones.

“I got a message from Sookie,” Jessica announces.

Willa is texting the Bellefleurs, Tara the Bon Temps crowd. Pam and Eric wait for a further explanation with eyebrows raised, Nora hums inquisitively.

“She says the doctors got Jason stable, but…” Here Jessica pauses, wipes a red tear from her eye. “He musta got hit real hard on the head or somethin’, ‘cause his brain was all swelled up.”

“Shit,” Willa says.

“They, they put him in a coma,” Jessica continues shakily. “It’ll get the swelling down or something.”

“Shit,” Tara says.

“I’m gonna go visit him tomorrow,” Jessica declares. “I mean, he might not really know I’m there, but you never know, he might?”

“I’ll drive,” Tara offers.

“I’ll go too,” Willa adds.

“Thanks, guys,” Jessica says. “That means a lot.”

“And me,” Nora exclaims, sitting up a little straighter.

“Oh!” Jessica exclaims. “Yeah, okay.”

Eric and Pam exchange glances. “Well,” Eric begins, “I guess it’ll be another family trip.”

**Author's Note:**

>  _syster, stanna_ ; "sister, stop"


End file.
